Big6 Information Problem-Solving Process

"To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. (American Library Association, 1989) At Oil City Senior High School, we use a process, the Big6 Information Problem-Solving Process, to help our students gain essential information literacy skills.

The Big6 Skills

The Big6 is a process model of how people of all ages solve an information problem.

1. Task Definition

1.1 Define the information problem

1.2 Identify information needed to complete the task (to solve the information problem

• What's the task?
• What types of information do I need?

2. Information Seeking Strategies

2.1 Determine the range of possible sources (brainstorm)

2.2 Evaluate the different possible sources to determine priorities (select the best sources)

• What are possible sources?
• Which are the best?

3. Location and Access

3.1 Locate sources (intellectually and physically)

3.2 Find information within sources

• Where is each source?
• Where is the information in each source?

4. Use of information

4.1 Engage (e.g., read, hear, view, touch) the information in a source

4.2 Extract relevant information from a source

• How can I best use each source?
• What information in each source is useful?

5. Synthesis

5.1 Organize information from multiple sources

5.2 Present the information

• How can I organize all the information?
• How can I present the result?

6. Evaluation

6.1 Judge the product (effectiveness)

6.2 Judge the information problem-solving program (efficiency)

• Is the task completed?
• How can I do things better?

Eisenberg, Michael B. and Robert E. Berkowitz. The Definitive Big6 Workshop Handbook. 3rd ed. Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Publishing, 2003.